Pavelski leads Sharks to 5-2 win over Sabres

SAN JOSE, Calif.(AP) -- Evgeni Nabokov kept the San Jose Sharks in
the game long enough for his teammates to find their legs
against the speedy Buffalo Sabres.

Joe Pavelski's second goal of the game broke a tie midway
through the third period and Nabokov made 38 saves to lead the
San Jose Sharks to their fifth straight victory, 5-2 over the
Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night.

"We talk about it all the time. He gives us a chance to win
every night and that's exactly what he did," forward Manny
Malhotra said. "They outshot us pretty bad. Had it not been for
him, it could have been pretty lopsided early on."

Jed Ortmeyer scored twice and Dany Heatley also had a goal for
the Sharks, who won for the 16th time in 19 games despite being
outshot 40-24.

Nabokov weathered an early Buffalo barrage to kept the Sharks in
the game and delivered the key saves whenever San Jose needed
them. Nabokov has allowed only eight goals in his past seven
starts, playing his best hockey of the season with the Olympics
just a couple of weeks away.

He helped kill a two-man advantage in the second period with
help from a couple of shots that banged off posts. The fans
started chanting "Nabby! Nabby!" after one particularly strong
glove save against former teammate Craig Rivet in the third
period.

Nabokov will likely start in Vancouver for the Russians next
month, while Buffalo's Ryan Miller is expected to be the No. 1
U.S. goalie. While Russia and the U.S. are in different groups,
the two goalies could meet again in the medal round. Nabokov got
the best of this meeting.

"We keep throwing pucks at him, kept trying to get those goals,"
defenseman Toni Lydman said. "But he was playing well."

Nabokov allowed a first-period goal to Tim Connolly and then a
power-play tally to Jason Pominville 18 seconds into the third
that tied the game at 2. Pominville's backhander deflected in
off Nabokov's skate. The Sharks had killed 34 straight penalties
since allowing a power-play goal to St. Louis on Jan. 6.

"The one that went between his legs on the power play, we were
all on the bench saying we need to get one back for him because
he kept us in the game," Ortmeyer said. "It was important for us
to go out and get a cushion for him."

Pavelski did just that 6:41 into the third. Miller made the
initial save on Devin Setoguchi's shot, but Pavelski got to the
loose puck in the crease and poked it home for his eighth career
two-goal game.

Ortmeyer scored two goals in the final 10 minutes to put the
game away, including an empty-netter with 1 minute remaining.

The Sabres have lost three games in California in five days,
also losing in Anaheim on Tuesday and in a shootout to Los
Angeles on Thursday. Buffalo wraps up a season-high, seven-game
road trip Monday in Vancouver.

"We let the time hang around and they didn't miss on their
opportunities," coach Lindy Ruff said. "I think we doubled up on
our opportunities all night. We were disappointed that we didn't
take advantage of them and we made a couple of mistakes."

Trailing 1-0 after one period, the Sharks were opportunistic in
the second. Manny Malhotra got them started with strong
forechecking. He stole a puck from Steve Montador and then fed
Pavelski for the tying goal early in the second.

"We weren't really skating or moving up to that point," Pavelski
said. "We got a quick goal and we got going after that."

Joe Thornton then set up the go-ahead goal when he spun around
in the corner and fired a backhand pass right to Heatley's stick
in front of the net. Heatley deflected the puck through Miller's
legs for his 30th goal, marking the sixth time he has reached
that mark.

The Sabres dominated the first period, outshooting the Sharks
14-5 and scoring the only goal off a broken play. After Thornton
turned the puck over in the defensive zone, Connolly took a pass
from Pominville for his 13th goal, extending his point streak to
15 games.

NOTES: Connolly's streak is tied for fifth longest in Buffalo
history. Gilbert Perreault holds the franchise record of 18 in
1971. ... Sharks D Dan Boyle missed his second straight game
with an upper body injury. ... Former Sharks players Rivet and
Mike Grier got warm ovations when their pictures were shown on
the scoreboard in the first period.